East Coast Netflix viewing doubles during Sandy

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East Coast Netflix viewing doubles during Sandy

By Julianne Pepitone

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) – As Hurricane Sandy barreled toward the East Coast on Monday, some of those cooped up at home passed the time by binge-watching Netflix.

As of 5:30 p.m. ET Monday, Netflix had seen 20% more video-streaming activity for the day than it did last Monday, according to spokesman Joris Evers. Viewership doubled on the East Coast, with major spikes in cities including New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Public schools, workplaces and public transportation were closed Monday in many of those cities.

Rival service Hulu didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment on whether usage of its streaming service also jumped on Monday.

Evers said Netflix “initially” saw a notable early morning increase in children’s titles being streamed. He didn’t immediately reply to a request for more details on other specific genres or titles that had an extra boost.

“We’re glad we can provide people some great entertainment while they’re hunkered down for the storm,” Evers said.

Several blogs, including The Awl and New York Magazine’s Vulture, posted lists of suggested shows to watch on Netflix during the storm.

Sandy made landfall in New Jersey late Monday night and has been categorized since then as a superstorm.